Allison Brennan - Silenced

She smiled. “Thank you for having so much faith in me.”

“It’s easy.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Besides, I could have helped, too.”

Lucy realized he wanted to help. He liked puzzles and needed something to keep his intellect challenged.

“You could have gotten the information faster,” Lucy said, playing up to his ego. “But Cyber Crimes is good. The FBI hires the best computer people.”

Sean cocked his head to the side. “The best? I’m hurt.”

She grinned and shook her head. She loved Sean so much. He could release the tension with one well-placed comment.

She kissed him. “The second best.”

“You’re going to have to make up that insult. My ego needs stroking. Maybe a massage, too.”

“Oh really?”

“There’s nothing I want more than to spend the next three weeks basking under your undivided attention,” Sean said. “But you’re not a quitter.”

“I know, but-”

“There is no but. You love this work. You need it. You’d go crazy being around the house all day, and I’d want to entertain you twenty-four-seven and then I’d get no work done. My brother and your brother would be livid at me for slacking off and not bringing in the big bucks.”

“I just-” She stopped. What did she want? Sometimes she didn’t know.

Sean tapped her chin and looked directly in her eyes.

“Stop doubting yourself. I don’t care how much experience the other cops have, your instincts are as good as theirs.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t think I would like this Stein jerk.”

She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “You wouldn’t. But he’s good at what he does. And he has more experience than me.”

“He took you off your case.”

“It’s his case, and Noah’s. I’m an analyst.”

“A damn good analyst.”

She pursed her lips. “You’re good for my ego.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I’m good for a lot of things.”

The cat wound around their feet.

“You should name this cat,” Sean said. “So when he annoys me, I know what to call him.”

“I can’t keep it.”

“Why not? You like him.”

“Yes, but I’m going to the Academy in three weeks. I can’t ask Kate and Dillon to take care of my pet.”

“I’ll keep him for you.”

“I didn’t know you liked cats.”

“I like this one.”

“Then you name it.”

“All right.” He picked up the cat and stared into his face. The cat meowed.

She grinned. “Did he just tell you his name?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “I need to get to know him first. It’ll come to me.”

They sat down on the couch and Sean wrapped one arm around Lucy and petted the cat with the other.

“Thank you for listening.”

“Anytime, Princess.” He kissed the top of her head. “I love you. And I think you’ll crack this case wide open and Noah had better rub it in this Josh Stein’s face, otherwise I’ll do it. I, for one, can hardly wait.”

Ivy watched the news with growing horror.

This is not happening.

She glanced over to the door of the adjoining room where Sara and Maddie were sleeping. They’d been sleeping too much, but Ivy didn’t have the heart to wake them up. She definitely didn’t want them hearing the news yet.

The jogger found strangled in Rock Creek Park has been positively identified as the mistress of powerful Judiciary Chair, Congressman Alan Crowley.

Wendy James, a receptionist for lobbying firm Devon Sullivan and Associates, was found dead Tuesday morning. DC police had no comment, but sources indicate that the FBI has taken over the investigation.

Last month, Ms. James was exposed as the mistress of Congressman Crowley. At first the congressman from Los Angeles denied the accusation that he was having an affair, but after compromising pictures surfaced on the Internet, he admitted to the accusations.

Repeated calls to the congressman’s office have not been returned. His chief of staff issued a statement that said Congressman Crowley is fully cooperating with the authorities. The FBI is not commenting, but sources indicate that agents don’t believe the crime was random. A source in the Capitol said Congressman Crowley canceled a scheduled trip to California last Friday.

We’ll keep you informed of any new developments in this stunning case.

Ivy stared at the television screen. She flipped through all the stations, trying to learn more about Wendy’s murder, but the reporters had nothing new.

Wendy was dead.

She paced the hotel room, trying to convince herself that Wendy’s murder wasn’t connected to her or the fire, but she was only lying to herself. Of course it was connected.

Someone had found out that she’d taped Wendy with that congressman, and others. Now Wendy was dead and someone had tried to kill Ivy and the other girls. Except the tapes had been destroyed in the fire.

Sergio? Was it the guy who bought the tapes? But why? He could easily have killed Ivy after she turned them over, but she hadn’t had a chance, unless he stole them then set the fire. But why?

He rescued your sister. He gave you ten thousand dollars. He was going to give you ten thousand more before your house burned down. What’s his motive for killing you?

Wendy was smart, but eventually the police would find out that Wendy and Ivy had been in business together.

She tried calling Kerry again; no answer. Dammit, why hadn’t she checked in? She dialed Nicole, panic making her misdial twice. Nicole was supposed to have been here this morning. Ivy hadn’t thought about her absence. She dry-heaved, realizing that she’d put Nicole out of her mind while trying to plan how to keep Sara safe.

Someone picked up the phone, but didn’t say anything.

Ivy listened. Breathing. Was it Nicole?

She didn’t speak, but she didn’t hang up.

“Are you looking for Nicole?”

The voice was male, mocking. At first Ivy thought Nicole had picked up a john, but even as the thought entered her mind, she knew Nicole was dead.

Just like Wendy.

“Where is she?” Ivy said. Her voice too weak to talk to a killer. She was scared and it showed.

He chuckled. “The morgue. You’re next. I’m closer than you think.”

She hung up. Her phone rang and she ran to the bathroom and dropped it in the sink, running water over it. She bent over the toilet and threw up violently, until acid burned her throat. She collapsed on the floor, her head on her arm, her stomach full of sharp knives.

“Ivy?” Maddie stood in the doorway. “Are you okay.”

Does it look like I’m okay?

“Get your stuff. We’re leaving.”

“I don’t wanna go.”

She sat up, shaking. In a voice much harsher than she intended, she said, “We have to. Nicole is dead!”

She might as well have slapped Maddie. Her lip quivered and tears dampened her eyes. Ivy pulled herself up off the bathroom floor and rinsed her mouth out with water. “Give me your phone.”

Maddie reached into her pocket. Ivy added Maddie’s phone to the water in the sink. When the basin was full, she shut the water off.

She walked past Maddie and back into the hotel room. She hadn’t unpacked. She pulled her backpack from the closet and zipped it up.

Maddie followed her, but made no attempt to pick up her things. “Why can’t we stay here? It’s safe here.”

No place was safe. The only way they’d be safe was if Ivy disappeared. But she had no money, no place to go.

Wendy’s dead.

There was one other option, but Ivy had no idea if Wendy had changed her hiding place after their falling out. Wendy must have known Ivy turned over the pictures of her and Crowley that ended up all over the news. Except Wendy hadn’t confronted her, and she wouldn’t have kept her mouth shut about it, even though they hadn’t spoken in months.